Shoe shining device



June 6, O. DYER, JR

SHOE SHINING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 21, 1959 arm M. Dyer, .1;

IN VEN TOR.

June 6, 1961 o. M. DYER, JR 2,985,759

SHOE SHINING DEVICE Filed Sept. 21, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Offo M. Dyer, J1:

BY W

United States Patent 2,986,759 SHOE SHINING DEVICE Otto M. Dyer, Jr., 1 Lafayette Plaisance, Apt. 1205, Detroit 7, Mich. Filed Sept. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 841,096 6 Claims. (CI. 15-97) This invention relates to improvements in portable shoe shining devices for use especially, although not necessarily, in the home to shine the toe portions of shoes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an easily operated, inexpensive device for reciprocating a' strip of flexible material cross-wise over the toe portion of a shoe positioned by the wearer of the shoe on a foot rest, and which embodies hand-operated means for rapid- 1y reciprocating the strip and at the same time. varying the pressure of the strip against the shoe, all with the hands held well above the shoes so that ,a person may operate the device for shoe shining purposes while standing or sitting in a comfortable position.

Another object is to provide a device for the above purposes in which the strip may be reciprocated while at the same time being shifted or moved lengthwise of the toe portion of a shoe being shined, whereby to facilitate shining the entire toe portion.

Still another object is to provide a shoe shining device in accordance with the foregoing which is strong, and durable, yet light in weight and of safe simple construction.

These together with other objects and advantages which willbecome subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

7 FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the improved shoe shining device in the preferred form thereof with the hand operative means positioned for use as handles for carrying the device from one place to another.

, FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the device with the hand operative means positioned for operation thereof.

' FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view in front elevation illustrating the manner in which the strip of flexible material is positioned across the toe portion of the shoe supported on the foot rest;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in transverse section taken on the line. 'of: FIGURE 2;

FIGURE Sis afr-agmentary view in vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4, and

, FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of the device. l

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the shoe shining device of this invention, in the preferred form thereof shown in FIGURES 1 to 6 comprises a flat base panel 1 adapted to be disposed on the floor 3, or the like, an elongated foot rest member 5, a pair of upright hand levers 7, 8, means, presently described, for mounting the hand levers on the base panel 1 at opposite sides of the foot rest 5 for universal pivotal movement for a purpose presently apparent, a flexible shoe shining strip 9 extending between the pair of hand levers, and means attaching the strip at its ends to said hand levers, 7, 8 for reciprocation longitudinally across the toe portion 11 of a shoe 13 supported on the foot rest 5 while being worn on the foot.

The base panel 1 is preferably rectangular with a front end 15 and is sufliciently wide and long to prevent the shoe shining device from being easily upset.

2,986,759 Patented June. 6

" 17 with forwardly flaring sides 19 and is supported in elevated position on the base panel 1 rearwardly of the front end 15 of said panel to extend longitudinally in the longitudinal center of said base panel at a height such that a person desiring to shine his or her shoes may con} veniently and comfortably place a foot on said foot rest 5 while either standing or sitting in a comfortable position. A pair of front and rear upright bars, 21, 23 ris- 1 ing from and suitably fixed to the base panel 1 and to the bottom of the foot rest member 5 support said foot rest member 5 in elevated position. The base panel 1 and foot rest member 5 and the bars 21, 23 maybe formed of any suitable material. The hand levers 7, 8 are both alike, each comprising an upward tubular female section 25 vertically slidable upwardly and downwardly on a lower tubular male section 27 so that said levers are telescopic for longitudinal extension or contraction to lengthen or shorten the same. The hand levers 7, 8 are each formed of strong lightweight material such as aluminum and the upper sections 25 are each pro} vided with an enlarged upper terminal hand-grip knob 29 thereon.

The hand levers 7, 8 are mounted on the base panel 1 at opposite sides of the foot rest member 5 and at the' front end 15 of said panel 1 and forwardly of rest member 5 by the following means.

An elongated U-shaped keeper'31 of resilient wire with spaced apart parallel sides 32 extends across and over the front end 15 of the base panel 1 and has its ends secured to said panel 1 at opposite sides of said panel 1 by screws 33, and is also secured to said panel 1 mid-way between its ends by a clip 35 surroundin'gtjhe' keeper and fastened by a screw 37 to the panel 1. The hand levers 7, 8 are each provided with a bottom'ter-l minal ferrule 39 fixed on the lower end of the lower male" section 27 and which is formed with a circumferential groove 41 and a reduced lower end 43 adapted to'be thrust downwardly between the sides 32 of thekeep'er 31 to rest on the base panel 1 and to spread said sides 32 apart for snap action seating in the groove 41 and whereby the hand lever is slidably adjustable longit u' dinally of the keeper 31 and adjustable laterally of the foot rest member 5 and, because of the resiliency. of the keeper 31, is mounted on the panel 1 for universal swinging or rocking movement while fulcruming on said pag e11. r

A pair of clips 45 are the foot provided onthe keeper" each side of each hand lever 7, 8 for sliding adjustment with the sides of the keeper to'retain the hand lever- 7,";

8 in laterally adjusted positionagainst casual sliding rel-4 ative to said keeper 31. V v I;

The flexible strip 9 is preferably, although not necfe'sj-f sarily, is formed of cloth and is attached to the hand le vers 7, 8 to extend between the same and transversely over the toe portion 11 of a shoe 13 on the foot rest member 5, and by the following means. A pair of eyelet members 47, or the like, are suitably attached to opposite ends of the strip 9. A pair of upwardly flaring sleeves 49 are provided on the lower ends of the upper sections 25 and on which the eyelet members 47 are wedged upwardly and retained thereon by spring pressed latches 51 on the sleeves 49 similar to the conventional umbrella fasteners on umbrella stafis. By this means, the strip 9 is movable upwardly and downwardly by up- Ward and downward sliding adjustment of the upper female sections 25 of the hand levers 7, 8 on the lower male sections 27.

A pair of rearwardly opening hooks 53 are provided on opposite sides of the foot rest 5 for a purpose presently explained.

The device operates as follows: The upper sections 25 of the hand levers 7, 8 are slid'upwardly and the hand levers are pivoted outwardly to raise the strip 9 and straighten the same out above the foot rest member so that a shoe 13 may be positioned on the :foot rest member 5 with the toe portion 11 under the strip 9 and forwardly of the foot rest member 5. The upper sections 25 of the hand grip levers 7, 8 may then be lowered and raised to reciprocate the same alternately in opposite directions on the lower sections 27 to reciprocate the strip 9 over the toe portion 11 while at the same time, the hand levers 7, 8 may be swung outwardly of the shoe 13 and/or forwardly and rearwardly thereof to exert the desired tension upon the strip 9 and move it back and forth along the toe portion 11 of the shoe 13.

The hand levers 7, 8 may be slidably adjusted laterally on the keeper toward or from the foot rest member 5 and retained in adjusted position by the clips 45 for variably spacing said levers apart and from the foot rest member 5 for shining shoe toe portions 11 of different widths. The clips 45 of each pair may be adjusted in a separative direction on the keeper 31 to provide for increasing give or yield in the sides 32 of the keeper 31 whereby to facilitate swinging of the hand levers 7, 8. When the device is not in use, the hand levers 7, 8 may be swung rearwardly into an inclined position and engaged in the hooks 53 to lock the same to the foot rest member 5 so that the hand levers, 7, 8 may be used to carry and transport the device and will be in an out-ofthe-way position.

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIG- URE 7, the keeper comprises a single resilient wire 55 with terminal eyes 57 attached to the base panel 59 by screws 61, and the lower sections 63 of the hand levers are provided with ferrules 65 fixed thereon and having bottom eyes 67 thereon slidable and rotatable on said wire 25. In this form, the hand levers may be operated in the same manner as in the preferred form while the keeper is of simplified form.

It is to be noted that the upper sections 25 of the hand levers 7, 8 are slidable off the lower sections 27 and the latches 51 depressed so that the eyelet members 47 may be pushed downwardly off the sleeves 49 for removal of the strip 9 when worn or soiled and replacement of the new strip 9 on the hand levers. Also, when the clips 45 of the pairs are slid apart, the slides 32 of the keeper 31 may be flexed outwardly out of the grooves 41 so that the hand levers 7, 8 may be removed .for replacement by new ones, if that be desired, or for cleaning purposes.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only. of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a shoe shining device, a base, an elevated foot rest mounted on said base to support a shoe While worn on a foot, a pair of laterally spaced, universally swingable telescopic levers upstanding from said base at opposite sides of the foot rest, a strip of flexible material extending endwise between said levers for overlying frictional engagement with a toe portion of a shoe to shine the same in response to reciprocation of said strip endwise, means universally swingably mounting said levers on said base, and means attaching the strip to said levers for reciprocation in response to telescoping movement of said levers.

2. A shoe shining device according to claim 1, said first named means pivotally mounting said levers for lateral swinging in opposite directions to move the strip back and forth over a toe portion of a shoe while said stripis being reciprocated.

3. A shoe shining device according to claim 1, said levers comprising upper and lower telescopic sections with the lower sections mounted by said mounting means and the upper sections slidable upwardly and downwardly on the lower sections, said attaching means attaching said strip to the upper sections for reciprocation by upward. and downward sliding of said upper sections.

4. A shoe shining device according to claim 1, said means mounting said levers comprising a resilient elongated keeper terminally attached on said base transversely of said foot rest and means on the lower ends of said levers slidably on said keeper, whereby said levers are adjustable toward and from said foot rest to variably space said levers apart for shining shoe toe portions of different widths.

5. A shoe shining device according to claim 1, said means mounting said levers including a U-shaped elongated resilient keeper terminally attached to said base transversely thereof with parallel sides, and terminal circumferentially grooved ferrules on said levers interposed between said sides with said sides engaged in said grooves and whereby said levers are swingable on said keeper and slidable along the same for adjustment toward and from the foot rest to variably space said levers apart for shining shoe toe portions of different widths. 6. A shoe shining device according to claim 1, said means mounting said levers comprising an elongated keeper terminally attached on said base transversely of said foot rest, said levers having terminal eyes thereon slidable along said keeper for variably spacing of said levers apart for shining shoe toe portions of different widths.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,605,486 Danielson Aug. 5, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 27,323 Great Britain Nov. 24, 1910 

